Best Places To See Ballet In The South Bay Area

Ballet has a long history and many passionate fans. Bay Area ballet aficionados are lucky to have many performances and ballet companies in the area to choose from. Read on for some of the best places to see ballet and dance in the South Bay.

San Jose Center for the Performing Arts
40 N 1st St
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 288-2820
balletsj.org

The venerable Ballet San Jose, the largest and best-known ballet company in the South Bay, has been in existence for nearly thirty years. Last year, it announced a partnership with American Ballet Theatre to license ABT's nationally-approved training programs for its students and dancers. This spring, Ballet San Jose performed a three-part series of repertory dances, including both classical and modern pieces, at the San Jose Center for the Performing Arts in San Jose. The fall season will be announced later this year, as will the locations for each production.

California Theatre
345 S 1st St
San Jose, CA 95113
(408) 924-5042
sjdanceco.org

sjDanceco is a new group in the Bay Area contemporary dance scene, having originally formed in 2003. The company is committed to presenting new choreographers and new dances to South Bay audiences. Each year, dancers perform a master work by noted choreographer Jose Limon, as they will be doing this October. "The Moor's Pavane" is a legendary work by Limon, based on William Shakespeare's "Othello." "The Moor's Pavane" and other related pieces will be updated by sjDANCEco's company choreographers in a collection inspired by Shakespeare's plays. All performances are held at the historic California Theatre in downtown San Jose, a vaudeville theatre originally built in 1927 and recently renovated as a live performance space for theatre, dance and opera.

Related: Best Dance Studios In San Francisco

Mountain View Center for the Performing Arts
500 Castro St
Mountain View, CA 94041
(650) 903-6000
ci.mtnview.ca.us

Among its many events, this venue in downtown Mountain View hosts a variety of dance performances. The Smuin Ballet, a noted San Francisco ballet company formed by legendary dancer and choreographer Michael Smuin, presented its spring program at the Mountain View Center, including a world-premiere piece. For The Love of Dance, a group that offers classes for children and adults in the South Bay, also recently held its first annual Dance Revue at the Mountain View Center. Fall dance performances will be announced later this year.

Menlo-Atherton Center for the Performing Arts
555 Middlefield Rd
Atherton, CA 94027
(650) 968-4455
westernballet.org

Associated with Menlo-Atherton High School, the Menlo-Atherton Center for the Performing Arts provides a performance space for a variety of local and regional arts groups. Western Ballet Company and School trains dancers in Mountain View on a daily basis. On June 10, the school will be presenting a themed recital and performance, "The Carnival of the Animals," with music by Tchaikovsky. Children participating in Western Ballet classes will be performing class demonstrations as well.

Peninsula Ballet Theatre
1880 S Grant St
San Mateo, CA 94401
(650) 342-3262
peninsulaballet.org

Peninsula Ballet Theatre is the Bay Area's second-oldest ballet company and provides classes and training for children and adults. Last holiday season, it took a production of "The Nutcracker" on the road, performing in Reno, Nevada as well as at locations across the Bay Area. This July, the company will be presenting its annual choreographer showcase, featuring new contemporary ballet dances, presented with live musical accompaniment. "For The Love of Dance" will be offered on July 28 at 7 p.m. More details will be announced on the website closer to the performance date.

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Laura Tarwater-Scharp is a freelance writer, editor and historian. Originally from the Midwest, she has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over a decade. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.